I’ve written about The Pond in Aurora many, many times on Genuine Kentucky and know beyond the shadow of a taste bud that I’ll write about this restaurant many more times in the future.

What can I say, I have a thing for wonderful food, charming ambiance, and uncommonly friendly people.

The Pond’s Menu (With the Adorable New Logo)

The problem with writing restaurant reviews for favorite restaurants is the feeling that you can’t possibly cover all of the things you want to cover. Seriously, everything is so delicious and the service is so above par that I have to pause every now and then to make sure I’ve covered everything.

However, due to time constraints (translation: my cats are getting hungry and restless), I’m going to simply stick with a few new (and maybe not so new) menu items we’ve tried.

The Grilled Shrimp. I’ve ordered the grilled shrimp many times over the years and it has always been great. See, here’s the thing – I am an avid cook and food blogger. I cook every single day of the week – usually more than once – so, when I go out to eat, I like to eat things I don’t normally fix at home. Shrimp is not on the home menu very often simply because of the price (Have you bought a bag recently? Holy cats, Kroger thinks I have a money tree I guess!), so when I can find it in a restaurant, I order it right away. Problem is, a lot of restaurants don’t have grilled shrimp available. The Pond is one of the few who do. Like I said, the shrimp has always been fantastic but, somehow, it’s even better than ever. It has a more “grilled” flavor and it is the best shrimp in the world.

Blacked Catfish. When I had to give up wheat and gluten, I had to part ways with one of my favorite things in the world (at most restaurants, anyway): Fried Catfish. I just started getting Grilled Catfish instead, which was also delicious. I’ve fallen hard for the blackened catfish at The Pond however – it’s a total knock-out.

Salmon. My husband, who loves salmon like I love catfish, was delighted to see it on The Pond’s menu and has ordered it each time we’ve been for the past few months. I tried it and can certainly see why he has remained so loyal to it. It’s wonderful.

Naturally, the baked potatoes, beans, and coleslaw are as delicious as always.

When you’re at Kentucky Lake or the Land Between the Lakes, you have to go to quiet little Aurora and have dinner at The Pond. New logo, new name but same outstanding food and service.

Tell them Joi (“Joy”) at Genuine Kentucky sends her love and will see them and their catfish and shrimp very soon.

~ Joi

P.S. A word about the grilled shrimp – the shrimp comes with a little package of cocktail sauce. DO NOT mess the shrimp up with this cocktail sauce. No, no, no… don’t even think about it. Not only does the shrimp not need it, the sauce is simply not on par with the deliciousness of the shrimp. It’s a packaged sauce, kind of like the kind you find in stores, and it simply doesn’t deserve to be seen in the company of this wonderful grilled shrimp!

My husband (Michael) and I take a lot of “daycations” – during each of the four seasons, not just summer. We don’t play favorites, after all. A daycation, simply put, is a vacation packed into a single day. Some people take week-long vacations but we kind of beat the system. By taking one 3-4 times a month, we have a lot more actual vacation time than most people.

Our daycations are usually on Saturdays, but occasionally we’ll take one on a Sunday (not during NFL season, though – I mean, that’s just not done from what I hear).

We’ll wake up, have our Bulletproof Coffee, feed our cats (while promising to bring them something back), map out the route (him), and grab a large tumbler of sweet tea (me) – then off we go. As I’ve mentioned before on the Kentucky blog, I have to eat gluten-free for health reasons. So, unfortunately, our daycations and destinations have to take that bit of information into consideration.

If I were to end up in an area or at a destination where I couldn’t safely eat lunch or supper, it would not make for a lovely daycation or a happy me. Quite frankly, years ago, we used to visit a lot more places (remote State Resort Parks, for example) that are pretty much off the list these days.

There just aren’t a lot of restaurants that will or are able to take the extra measures to provide “gluten-free” food. Thankfully, one of our favorite daycation destinations (Kentucky Lake and the Land Between the Lakes) has a couple of delicious options. Catfish Kitchen actually has gluten-free fried catfish (it isn’t listed on the menu, but you can certainly order it – goodness knows I do often enough!). Paired with beans, coleslaw, green tomato relish, and a baked potato – it’s one of my favorite meals.

Beans and Green Tomato Relish

There are bottles of relish on the tables for the beans, but I prefer the Green Tomato Relish (it is ridiculously delicious). It’s less than $1 and is the perfect accompaniment to the beans.

Take it from me, just because you have to eat a certain way doesn’t mean you don’t thoroughly enjoy dining out as much as the next person!

The pictures in this post are from our last visit to Catfish Kitchen. The fried okra and hush puppies may be off-limits for me, but that doesn’t mean my husband can’t enjoy the heck out of them.

Fried Okra: Not Gluten-Free (Unfortunately!)

Here’s a word to the wise, MAKE RESERVATIONS. Call the restaurant as soon as you possibly can and set a reservation. The restaurant has limited seating but unlimited popularity – when those two combine, there’s only one thing you can do to make sure you get to eat before you’re ready to eat your own shoes… MAKE RESERVATIONS. On our last visit, there was a very, very disappointed and unhappy lady who had apparently driven a long way to visit Catfish Kitchen and who was, understandably, upset about having to wait at least an hour.

The nicer the weather, the more vital it is to make reservations. A few weeks ago, when my husband called to make a reservation, it was already too late for a “reasonable” dinner hour. This restaurant is incredibly popular and people just seem to come out of nowhere to pull into the parking lot. MAKE RESERVATIONS!

Hush Puppies: Also NOT Gluten-Free

Catfish Kitchen is located at 136 Teal Run (between Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Benton). Their phone number is (270) 362-7306.

As you can tell from the multipleWillow Pond(in Aurora)reviews on Genuine Kentucky, this is one of our favorite Kentucky Lake Restaurants. The food is consistently delicious and the people couldn’t be any friendlier if they were your own family. None of that has changed (or is it ever apt to), but the name HAS changed. This legendary Kentucky Lake restaurant is no longer Willow Pond…. it is now The Pond.

Some people get kind of confused when it comes to the Willow Pond restaurants near Kentucky Lake – so I’ll just give a brief recap:

There was a Willow Pond in Calvert City that was pretty darn good. While the Willow Pond in Aurora has always been my favorite, this restaurant wasn’t at all bad. Unfortunately, the Calvert City Willow Pond is closed now – for good, apparently, because there now a new business in their old location. This Willow Pond had different owners than the Willow Pond in Aurora.

The Willow Pond in Aurora (my favorite since Day 1) is still standing strong and delicious. It is simply now going by the name The Pond. The signs out front have not changed yet, but trust me… it’s not The Pond. We ate there a few days ago and the overall-wearing frog (pictured below) assured me, the change is a done deal.

There is a Willow Pond in Eddyville that is… for lack of a better word… horrible. The last time we ate there (out of severe hunger and desperation), we actually sat in a shocked kind of silence trying to tally up all the things they did wrong. Everything was cold, everything was bad, and the servers were aloof and acted kind of detached. Not that I wouldn’t try to detach myself from the food served, too, but still. The Eddyville Willow Pond owners are NOT the ones who own the Aurora restaurant. They aren’t even the ones who owned the one in Calvert City (though I wish they were in case we were ever hungry and desperate in that area again).

{Review Continued Beneath My Buddy the Frog….}

While The Pond (this is going to take some getting used to after years of typing Willow Pond in Aurora!) has a little bit of everything on their menu, they are famous for…

Fried Catfish

White Beans

Red Pepper Relish (for the beans)

Grilled Catfish

Grilled Shrimp

Fried Green Tomatoes (appetizer)

Vinegar Coleslaw

Their Hush Puppies

After our recent visit, I’m going to do my part to make sure they become equally famous for their blackened catfish and loaded baked potato, but before I get to that, a few words about the above legends. The red pepper relish and vinegar coleslaw have, literally, ruined a lot of other restaurants for me. I find myself in other restaurants, eating their beans and thinking, “Beans are better with The Pond’s red pepper relish…” Or I’ll take a bite of coleslaw and think, “Not as good as The Pond’s…”

A few years ago, I had to completely stop eating wheat and gluten (health reasons – my body made the decision, not my brain). Before that fateful moment, The Pond’s hush puppies and fried catfish had ALSO ruined other restaurant’s attempts as well.

When I had to give up wheat, I had to give up fried catfish and hush puppies at The Pond. I was quickly and greatly relieved to discover that their grilled shrimp, blackened catfish, and grilled catfish are phenomenal.

In fact, when we were there this past Saturday, the blacked catfish was better than ever. It was simply too good to be true and I told it so.

Yes, of course I talk to my food. Try not to judge me – all I can do is ask you to try.

I also branched out this time and ordered the Baked Potato “loaded,” which proved to be one of my smarter moves of the year. It was extra, extra delicous – the entire meal was, to be honest.

But the thing is… with The Pond… I would expect no less.

William Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Joi (that’d be me) says, “A Restaurant this good… by any name it chooses… will knock your knickers off.”

I never claimed to be as eloquent as Mr. Shakespeare.

The Pond is located in Aurora, Kentucky – perfectly situated between Kenlake State Resort Park/Kentucky Lake and The Hitching Post and Old Country Store. I hope you’ll make The Pond your dining choice when in the Land Between the Lakes region or anywhere near Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

P.S. One more example of how good The Pond is and how much we love it: We live in Owensboro, Kentucky and have actually made the trip to Aurora JUST to have dinner at The Pond. What’s more, we’ve done it more than once.

It’s been a while since I wrote my first Willow Pond in Aurora review (8 years to be exact!) but the review still gets visitors. In fact if you click the link, you can read the raving comments of others who’ve visited and loved this wonderful Kentucky Lake restaurant.

Special note before I continue with this review… I often refer to this particular Willow Pond as the Willow Pond in Aurora – I’m not trying to be wordy (I don’t have to try to be wordy, just ask my husband). There is a Willow Pond in Eddyville and it is nowhere near as good as the one in Aurora. Different people run the place, different people work the place, and different people cook in the place. I want to clearly distinguish between the two because the Willow Pond in Aurora is excellent and the one in Eddyville? Well, you’d be better off at Wendy’s.

Back to Aurora and back to the “right” Willow Pond.

{Review Continued Below….}

Recently, I found myself (yet again) recommending Aurora’s Willow Pond to someone. A woman contacted me, through e-mail, asking for suggestions – she and her family planned to be in the Kentucky Lake area, for the first time no less, and wanted to know where I recommended lodging, eating, and shopping. As I sat typing out a nice long e-mail to her, I found myself raving about the Willow Pond restaurant in Aurora.

After sending the e-mail, I started thinking, What is it about Aurora’s Willow Pond Restaurant that makes it so special? Why do I always feel 110% comfortable and confident sending people their way? What separates them from a lot of other restaurants? Why is it the perfect place to eat if you’re visiting Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, or the Land Between the Lakes?

Fortunately, I never task myself questions I can’t handle, so I came up with the answers.

The FOOD Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

A lot of catfish restaurants (all that I’ve been to anyway) offer deals where you get your choice of meat, white beans, hush puppies, coleslaw, and your choice of fries or a baked potato. Each of the sides at Willow Pond (in Aurora) are superior to other restaurant’s sides. Period. I’m a nice Southern gal, but there’s no way to sugar coat this. Their beans? Better than other restaurants. Their coleslaw? Better than other restaurants. Their hush puppies? Okay, this is where I get sad.. I was always addicted to their wonderful hush puppies until I had to start eating gluten free. But, memory serves me well and their hush puppies are much better than other restaurants. Their baked potatoes are always perfection, as well. They have something else that sets them apart, too – red pepper relish! A bottle sits on each table (and is even available to purchase) and it is Heaven on their white beans. HEAVEN. Mind you, the beans are delicious without the relish, too.

The coleslaw is available two ways – made with vinegar or made with mayonnaise. To be honest, I’ve never had the mayo one in all the countless times I’ve been there. I don’t have anything against mayo coleslaw – but the vinegar coleslaw is so crazy delicious I just can’t wander away from it.

{Review Continued Below….}

Willow Pond’s fried catfish is (again, going by memory) also better than you’ll find anywhere. Fortunately, since I have to eat blackened and grilled these days, their non-fried catfish is also great. Because their fried catfish is the stuff legends are made of, I was honestly broken-hearted about having to give it up. However, one bite of their grilled catfish and my poor catfish-loving heart mended right up. The grilled and blackedned are as delicious as the fried, and that’s really saying something huge.

Something else on the menu that’s out of this world is their grilled shrimp. Delicious! It doesn’t need any cocktail sauce – that’s how flavorful it is.

Even the iced tea is consistently great at Aurora’s Willow Pond!

CONSISTENCY Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

Pet peeve – when you never know what to expect from a restaurant one visit to the next. One week the food’s a 10, the next it’s a 3. This week the people are friendly, the next they’re all but rude. What once was on the menu is now nowhere to be found. (Seriously, though, how is barbecue chicken “seasonal?”)

Aurora’s Willow Pond is as consistent as the word, itself. Consistent is always spelled the same – it never changes. You know what to expect, c-o-n-s-i-s-t-e-n-t. This Willow Pond is delicious each and every single time. As consistent as c-o-n-s-i-s-t-e-n-t. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, it doesn’t matter what month of the year it is. The food refuses to be anything but delicious. The prices refuse to be anything but reasonable. The restaurant, itself, refuses to be anything but the very definition of comfort.

{Review Continued Below….}

The PEOPLE Set Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

The hostesses and servers are just as consistent as the food. Some of the faces may change from time to time but the “heart” of the restaurant never changes. There is an unmistakable atmosphere of happiness and southern hospitality flows through the air. We’ve eaten at this Willow Pond far too many times to even begin to count and we have never (not once, mind you) encountered a single worker who was rude or seemed in any way less than happy to be right where they were, doing right what they were doing.

They make you feel welcome and the smiles on their faces when guests walk through the door are not fake. They are genuine. About a month ago, we were enjoying a wonderful meal as the restaurant began to fill up. There was an event at nearby Kenlake and apparently there was a great turnout.

The servers and hostesses were incredibly busy but it never registered on their faces. It was as though their smiles and hearts didn’t realize how busy their hands and feet were! A very large group came in (ten people, in all) and the servers worked, happily, pulling tables together and talking to everyone about their visit to Kentucky Lake.

Not one single face “registered” the crazy pace of the evening and not one responded with anything but a smile and kindness to each and every guest. They almost reminded me of how I am when all of my family gets together on holidays.

Mind you, I’ve never been in the restaurant business (even though my kitchen often feels like one!) – but I can’t help but think that the staff often takes on the character, mindset, and possibly even “heart” of the owner. In this case, it would make perfect sense, because the owner is what we call “good people” here in Kentucky. Very, very good people.

It appears to me that the heart of the owner resonates with each member of his staff.

People like that? You bet they set a restaurant apart from the rest.

{Review Continued Below…}

The CHARM Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

We’d been going to this Willow Pond for months before I put my finger on what I loved so much about the restaurant, itself. There are other restaurants in the area that also serve great food. There are even a few that also have ridiculously friendly “good people.” And yet…. Whenever my husband and I would discuss where we were going to eat supper while in the area, we almost always came back to Willow Pond in Aurora.

It feels good to be there.

The restaurant, itself, is spacious, cozy, very comfortable, colorful and… well… charming. Very, very charming. I love the checkered tablecloths, I love the floral tablecloths, I love the fruity tablecloths, I love the country decor, I love the front porch, I love Ole Sam the Resident Buzzard (pictured below) a lot , and I love the I love the down home vibe of the entire restaurant.

I enjoy being there. Period.

{Concluded below Ole Sam…}

Next time you’re in the Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, or Land Between the Lakes area – you know where to go for supper. When you go, say “Hi!” to Sam for me.

Heck… I might even be there, myself.

Check out Aurora’s Willow Pond on Facebook to stay on top of their hours. Like all businesses around tourist areas, the days and hours change throughout the year.

How amazing do the green tomatoes and beans in the picture above look??? What’s really special is that they taste even better than they look. Next time you’re at Kentucky Lake, you HAVE to eat at Catfish Kitchen. Seriously. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It’s a legendary Kentucky Lake restaurant and they do all things deliciously.

Fried Catfish and a Baked Potato

I’ve certainly written about Catfish Kitchen plenty of times on Genuine Kentucky. If you haven’t guessed by now, it’s not just a favorite Kentucky Lake restaurant or Kentucky restaurant – it’s one of my favorite all time restaurants – as in anywhere, anytime.

I love the ambiance, the window views, the decor, the friendly servers, the fact that they have gluten free fried catfish, their big baked potatoes, their green tomatoes, the fact they have Heinz Ketchup instead of a vile “off brand,” their sweet tea, and… well… everything.

Heinz on the Table? The Restaurant Knows What’s Up!

If you know anything about me, you know that I am to catfish what Cookie Monster is to cookies and what Popeye is to spinach. Like chocolate and sweet tea, if catfish is mentioned, you have my undivided attention.

A few years ago, when I had to stop eating wheat and gluten, for health reasons, having to give up fried catfish (one of my obsessions) hurt more than anything else. More than doughnuts, more than pizza, more than just about anything else I had to say “so long” to. I even told one of my daughters once that (when it comes to dining out) fried catfish and onion rings were the toughest things to lose.

Then along comes Catfish Kitchen with gluten free fried catfish! Words can’t tell you what it means to me to still be able to go to Kentucky Lake and know I can have my beloved fried catfish. What’s more, it is excellent – EVEN better than I remember their normal fried catfish being, and that’s really saying something.

Something pretty cool occurred to me last time my husband, Michael, and I went to Catfish Kitchen – my trust level with them, when it comes to dining out gluten free, is uncommonly high. Here’s the situation… when I eat anything with gluten or wheat in it (even a crumb, mind you), I get uncommonly sick – with severe stomach pain – and the misery lasts for up to two weeks. Headaches, body aches, uncommon tiredness, and often a mouth ulcer or two also come into play. To keep things interesting, I even gain about 5 pounds each time.

For anywhere between 7-14 days, I am as miserable as it gets… like having the flu from Hell with a few other nightmares thrown in.

Understandably, I am overly cautious when I eat out. There are certain locally-owned restaurants and chain restaurants that I trust and only a handful that I’ve never had a single problem at. Since I am HIGHLY sensitive, I am usually a very good gauge for how “on the ball” a restaurant is because, as I said, even a crumb sends me into Hell Weeks.

This is why, not only are we cautious about where we eat, we have a few “precautionary steps” we take when we dine out. I make certain I mention “gluten free” and/or “wheat free” to the server a couple of times and, if it’s one I’m totally unfamiliar with, I’ll even say something along the lines of, “I can’t have anything with wheat or gluten or my body thinks it’s been poisoned!” – you know, something to make it a personal thing they can relate to and to help make their job easier.

We also almost ALWAYS order different sides if our food could possibly be mixed up. When I first started having to order gluten free fried catfish and he ordered his regularly fried catfish – he would always order fried potatoes. This extra little trick gave us more confidence when the food came out because, frankly, it’s tough to tell by just looking at the fried catfish. They look the same!

View from our Table

The view, above, is from the table we sat at on our last visit. The pond often has a working fountain in the middle that adds to the relaxing setting.

Delicious Coleslaw

The sides at Catfish Kitchen are outstanding, too, even though their catfish is the biggest draw. The coleslaw (on our last trip) was even better than usual. It was fresh and fantastic.

Familar Face at Catfish Kitchen

The guy pictured above is as much a regular at Catfish Kitchen as we are. We see him there all the time.

What more can I say? Catfish Kitchen is simply the perfect little Kentucky restaurant. It’s a very relaxing and beautiful setting and animal lovers like me will never tire of watching the Canadian Geese and ducks that are as drawn to the property as we are.

The goose pictured below had adorable goslings with her. Naturally, I didn’t want to get too close, because it’s her home and I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable – but you can see the adorable babies if you look closely.

Next time you’re at Kentucky Lake or the Land Between the Lakes, head for Catfish Kitchen…. and don’t forget to order a side of green tomatoes!

Before You Go:
Always check Catfish Kitchen’s Facebook Page before planning your trip. This is advice I pretty much give to people before they go anywhere, but when it’s Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley restaurants, it’s absolutely essential. You never know when a restaurant’s “off season” hours will change or what days of the week they aren’t open unless you check first.

Also, if you want grilled catfish, you need to call ahead first.

How to Get There:
The official address for Catfish Kitchen is 136 Teal Run, Benton, KY. Laymen’s terms? It’s on U.S. 641 – between Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Benton. It’s 5 miles south of Kentucky Dam, to be exact.

Welcome to Genuine Kentucky!

Genuine Kentucky is a Kentucky Blog and online magazine celebrating the beautiful Bluegrass State. We shine the spotlight on Kentucky with pictures, restaurant reviews, news, tourism, Things to Do in Kentucky, and more.

We’re proud Kentuckians and the non-profit effort you see before you is a labor of love.

Follow Genuine Kentucky on Twitter!

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

Kentucky State Parks

We have a special passion for Kentucky State Parks, so you'll find many articles and reviews centered around the beautiful state parks in Kentucky.

A personal goal is to visit, photograph, and enjoy each and every one of our state parks and eat at each of the state resort parks. Make no mistake about it, we're well on our way!

Bird Watching in Kentucky!

One of our greatest passions is birds and bird watching is an absolute favorite pastime. If you love our feathered friends and want to learn more about bird watching and attracting birds to your own backyard, be sure to check out our section dedicated entirely to Kentucky birds.

Kentucky Restaurants and Reviews

Kentucky Blogs Database

If you have a Kentucky Blog - or you're simply a Kentuckian who blogs! - you might want to consider adding your blog to a new KY Blogs Database. It's run by "one of us," as in a fellow Kentuckian! Click the link to check it out. I've added Genuine Kentucky and will be adding my other blogs as well.

Kentucky Pictures

Advertising & Reviews

If you are interested in advertising on Genuine Kentucky, please contact us: e-mail Joi Sigers.

Also, if you have a resort, condo, golf course, restaurant, or even a cup of coffee (LOVE coffee!) you'd like for us to review, please contact us at joi@genuinekentucky.com.

Genuine Kentucky Disclaimer

We do not work for any Kentucky service or organization. We are simply proud to have been born and raised in the greatest state in the country and are thrilled to call it home. This site serves as our tribute to Kentucky and its warm and wonderful people. Our mission is to bring more travelers to Kentucky and keep more Kentuckians home! See our Privacy Policy.